Recent years have been marked by serious reform initiatives in Russia's military industry. There are a number of programs in the country, the purpose of which is to increase the efficiency of army structures, modernize weapons and technical equipment, as well as optimize measures in relation to the number of military personnel and personnel of the army. Nevertheless, the issue of salaries for military personnel remains among the most topical.

The government says the military is among the most protected Russians today, with salaries considered among the highest in the country, and social guarantees are constantly growing. However, the remuneration of this category of citizens has not been indexed for a long time. According to estimates, since 2012, under the influence of devaluation and falling oil prices, the standard of living of the military has dropped by almost 50%! However, literally in 2018-2019, the authorities promise to radically change the situation for the better. Well, let's discuss the prospects for raising salaries for the Russian military!

For the umpteenth time, the authorities of the Russian Federation promise to significantly increase the salaries of military personnel. But will they keep their promise in 2019?

How is the salary of the military formed?

The emergence of the contract army has created a new category of jobs in Russia. Of course, at the beginning of an army career, one cannot count on significant payments - the lack of a rank and work experience imposes its own limitations. Salary begins to grow only after a while, as it is formed under the influence of certain factors. The most important elements of the salary of a regular military include:

• salary amount- its meaning determines the rank and position of a person who has devoted himself to military service;
• the location of the military unit- the same principles apply here as for civil salaries (for example, the northern allowance, which can raise the salary by 2 times);
• presence of special conditions- we are talking about bonuses for secrecy, for serving in special places or special branches of the troops. Such allowances can add up to 65% to the totals;
• confirmation and advanced training- subject to successful completion of qualification tests, you can get up to 30% bonus;
• risk premiums– a risky service can double the salary;
• bonuses- for special achievements, a bonus of 100% of the salary can be added to the salary of a soldier, and 25% can be added for excellent service;
• housing allowances;
• covering the costs associated with settling in a new place of residence- for military personnel, they can reach a whole salary, and for family members - a quarter of this amount.

Not so long ago, a document was submitted to the government, according to which, in the period from 2017 to 2019, 448.7 billion rubles will be allocated for the financial allowance of the military. This is quite comparable with the financing of previous years, which means that wage growth is not expected again. It was also stated that spending up to 30% of the budget on defense in conditions where even the Reserve Fund will be used for financing is completely inappropriate.

This bill was immediately subjected to sharp criticism from the State Duma Committee responsible for defense issues. Soon the President addressed the graduates of the military academies and voiced theses that ran counter to the main provisions of the new law. He promised that military personnel would receive increased allowances and housing, and that they themselves and their families would be awarded the right to the highest quality medical care.

After some time, the bill was amended. It seems that on the eve of the elections, the authorities considered that it would be inappropriate to lose the votes of a significant part of the electorate. That is why the draft budget, which was adopted for 2018, includes an indexation measure within 4% (this indicator is determined taking into account the projected inflation rate in the country). Such an increase will be applied not only to the salaries of the military, but also to those categories of Russians who are equated with them.

In this regard, a four percent increase is expected for employees of internal affairs bodies, firefighters, foreign intelligence officers, as well as representatives of the National Guard, the Federal Penitentiary Service, the FSB and the FSO. It should also be noted that, according to the bill, other Russians who have not had their salaries increased for a long time also fell under the effect of indexation. For example, in 2019, the freeze will be lifted for federal officials, state employees, deputies, representatives of the judicial and prosecutorial spheres, as well as employees of the Investigative Committee.

Salaries will be indexed for both the military and those who are equated to them

By the way, not everyone agrees that indexing should be carried out by the same percentage for all of the categories listed. For example, Vasily Zatsepin (head of the laboratory of military economics at the Gaidar Institute) believes that it is necessary to increase the salaries of military and civil servants. According to him, for these categories of Russians over the past few years, the standard of living has not only stopped growing, but even decreased. With the current salary of a sergeant, it is not so easy to complete the ranks of a contract army, so it is important to switch to an annual indexation that takes place automatically.

Another opinion was expressed by Ilya Sokolov, an analyst from the Center for Strategic Research. He believes that the military already receive more representatives of the public sector, so it is inappropriate to increase their salaries at the same pace. Moreover, the military also has additional benefits. These include mortgages at reduced interest and medical care, which are not provided, for example, for teachers. As for the indexation procedures for 2019-2020, it is still too early to talk about them.

Specific figures will become known by the end of 2018, when economic departments will be able to predict inflation. Unlike the next year, when indexation will be carried out on January 1, 2018, in 2019 and 2020 the deadline for this event will be shifted to October 1. In total, about 2.7 million people will fall under “military” indexation measures in Russia. According to official statistics, now the power structures, army ranks and departments that are equated to them are represented by the following composition:

• there are 1.9 million people in the armed forces, of which 1.03 million are direct military personnel;
• the number of employees representing the bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs includes about 904 thousand Russians;
• employees representing the federal penitentiary service, now about 225 thousand people;
• 251 thousand people are employed in the fire fighting structure;
• The National Guard is represented by 340,000 citizens.

If we also count the civilians who serve these units and also fall under indexation procedures, then in total 3.5 million Russians will fall into the circle of people with a four percent increase in salaries in 2018.

What amount will it cost?

According to Viktor Bondarev, who holds the post of Head of the Russian Council for Defense and Security, another 52 billion rubles in 2018, 66 billion in 2019, and 121 billion in 2020 will be added to additional funding for military personnel in addition to the figures previously budgeted. allocated to increase financial allowance, look like this:

• in 2018, 67 billion rubles will be spent on indexation activities;
• in 2019, this procedure will cost the Russian Federation 83.9 billion rubles;
• in 2020, wage growth will require another 148.4 billion rubles.

In 2019, 83.9 billion rubles will be spent on indexing military salaries

Thus, the total amount of expenses for monetary allowances increased several times. The authorities promise that the payments will cover the lack of indexation procedures in previous years. Bondarev said that he considered this measure absolutely justified, since the military had not been subjected to this procedure for five whole years. In his speech, he also noted that today the budget for defense issues is balanced.

Now there is enough money in it to re-equip the army, improve weapons and equipment, and carry out the planned scientific, technical and research studies. Experts have already calculated that as a result, the indexation of military salaries will cost the country's budget 300 billion rubles, and literally by 2020, about 14% of the state budget will be spent on this part of the costs. If we sum up all the planned expenses from the three-year budget of the Russian Federation for the maintenance of the military, the numbers will look like this:

• 2.27 trillion rubles (13.8% of the state budget) - the amount allocated for 2018 to pay financial allowances to military personnel and persons who are equated to them. Moreover, this is just a published item of expenditure - experts believe that an even more significant part of the costs may be hidden in that section of the budget that is not subject to assessment;
• 2.39 trillion rubles (13.95% of the state budget) - expenses for financing allowances in 2020.

By the way, funds for indexation were partially allocated (in the amount of 847 billion rubles) from the "Presidential Fund" - previously they were reserved for "individual decisions of the president." If we talk about structures equated to the military, then the following amounts are planned for them:

• for investigators representing internal affairs bodies and related to the investigative committee - 6 billion rubles;
• for the main part of the investigative committee - 8 billion in national currency;
• for those employed in operational activities in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Penitentiary Service - 6 billion rubles;
• the bulk of the representatives of the Federal Penitentiary Service - 20.4 billion in national currency;
• for the National Guard - 27 billion rubles;
• for representatives of the structures of the Ministry of Emergency Situations - 11.4 billion in national currency.

What will be the salaries of the military?

Although the statistical departments promise the Russian army solid salaries and significant allowances, so far most of the military does not see the promised numbers.

If we make a comparison, the amount of financial allowances issued to military personnel should increase by one and a half times only from January 2018. Interestingly, back in 2015, representatives of statistical agencies reported that, according to their calculations, the average salary in the military units of the country is 60.5 thousand rubles per month. According to the Minister of Economy, the minimum salary for enlisted personnel in 2018 will be 20,000 rubles, and for officers - 45,000 in the national currency.

Starting January, regular military personnel will receive increased salaries. Moreover, the growth of their monetary allowance will continue in the next two years. As the correspondent of RG-Nedelya was told in the Russian Ministry of Defense, the decision has been made and is not subject to revision. The annual increase in salaries is one of the factors affecting the prestige of military service.

Three times four

There has been no increase in army pay for the last five years. But now it will grow annually until 2021. The amount of indexation, according to Deputy Defense Minister Tatyana Shevtsova, will be 4 percent per year. For these purposes, 18 billion rubles have been allocated to the defense budget of this year, and the increase itself will take place from January.

In 2019, the recalculation of army salaries will be carried out from October 1, it is planned to spend 22.6 billion on an increase in monetary allowance. A similar period and percentage increase is planned for 2020 - 41.2 billion rubles are provided for this indexation of military payments in the budget.

What will all this look like in practice?

Shevtsova explained by the example of the monthly salary of a battalion commander with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Now, together with various additional payments, he receives 85,345 rubles a month. Taking into account the January increase, his allowance will rise to 88,759 rubles. Thus, the increase will be 3414 rubles. In another year, it will increase to almost seven thousand, and in 2020 it will amount to 9,239 rubles.

The wallet will become noticeably heavier not only for officers, but also for career sergeants, as well as ordinary contract soldiers. For example, a squad leader with three badges on shoulder straps will receive 47,821 rubles instead of the previous 45,982 rubles. In the fall of 2019, his total salary will increase to 49,734 rubles. And a year later - up to 51,723 rubles.

The corresponding indicators for the shooter of an ordinary contract service look like this. In December - 30,781 rubles per month. Since January of this year - 32,012 rubles. 33,292 rubles - in 2019 and 34,624 - in 2020.

It is known that in addition to money for a military rank and position, regular military personnel also receive various payments and allowances - they amount to up to half of the total salary of a serviceman. Money is added for class qualifications, for special conditions of service, for working with classified information, etc. Some amounts are charged monthly, others - once a year or from time to time. In total, there are up to one and a half dozen various additional payments in the army.

The RG correspondent asked Tatyana Shevtsova if it is planned to increase these surcharges and introduce new ones in the near future? The deputy minister said that for now everything will remain as it was. “The main thing is that we managed to keep these payments in the 2018 budget,” Shevtsova said.

The retirees went up

In contrast to the servicemen, the wallets of military retirees became heavier at the end of December, when the already increased January pension was accrued to former officers and ensigns.

The amounts provided for in the budget for the indexation of military pension payments in the next three years were previously made public. But now every retired serviceman must have determined his personal allowance.

To do this, the amount of the previous pension had to be multiplied by 4 percent. This is the figure that Deputy Defense Minister Tatyana Shevtsova named. Moreover, the same indicator is also included in the plans for recalculating retirement payments not only for 2018, but also for the next two years.

However, if all the same 4 percent growth for the active military reflects an increase in salaries for military rank and position, then for military pensioners the corresponding recalculation is made in the column “for length of service”.

The salary will increase not only for officers, but also for contractors

The Ministry of Defense has already performed the necessary arithmetic for some categories of retirees. For example, a former battalion commander who retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel, instead of the previous "average" 23,633 rubles, has been receiving 24,610 rubles a month since January. Taking into account other increases, this retiree will receive 25,595 rubles from October 2019, and 26,619 a year later.

According to Shevtsova, the size of the coefficient used to determine the amount of a military pension since January 2018 is 72.23 percent of the monetary allowance, which is taken to calculate such payments.

“Pulling up” retirement payments to the pensions of those who parted with shoulder straps after 2012 is not a quick matter. Ideally, the process could be accelerated by a double recalculation - according to the increased salaries of servicemen and the indexation of the pension itself.

However, the Ministry of Defense admits that it is not yet possible to do this. The economic situation in the country will change, additional funds will appear in the treasury - then, perhaps, it will be possible to return to such a practice.

Saved on housing

On what they can, the military saves. And the funds received are also used to solve the social problems of servicemen. For example, at the end of last year, by decision of the head of the Ministry of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, an additional 5 billion rubles were allocated for the provision of housing subsidies due to homeless officers.

The department saved this money on the monetary allowance of regular military personnel.

Of course, no one was deprived of the legal salary of soldiers and officers. It was mainly about an accelerated settlement with people whose stay in the army had recently been of a formal nature. De jure, the so-called stewards were listed in the ranks, and de facto they had long been mastered in civilian life. By law, the command did not have the right to dismiss them from the army without providing a free apartment, housing certificate or targeted subsidy.

Until this problem was solved, people received money from the Ministry of Defense, which they put in advance in the budget of the department for the whole year. As soon as the issue of a particular soldier was closed, and at the same time his army biography was officially completed, departmental payments came to an end.

So, month after month, savings accumulated, which Shoigu “redirected” toward housing subsidies towards the end of the year.

As a result, the issue of additional payment of housing money to 777 servicemen was resolved. Taking into account their households, almost two and a half thousand people will now be able to find their own roof over their heads.

In total, almost 7,000 regular military personnel used this form of solving the housing problem in the Armed Forces last year, to whom the Ministry of Defense transferred a total of 42.78 billion rubles.

The largest amount was received by a person on the waiting list from the Northern Fleet - 15.2 million rubles were credited to his family. As for the average military housing subsidy, it amounted to 6.2 million rubles.

According to the Ministry of Defense, more than 70 percent of those who are preparing for the dismissal of servicemen prefer money to other forms of housing. Over the four years that the army has been paying housing subsidies, more than 142 billion rubles have been transferred to the accounts of almost 25,000 military people on the waiting list.

Infographics RG / Anton Perepletchikov / Mikhail Shipov / Boris Golkin

Parallels

Before the revolution, the salary of a second lieutenant (lieutenant), together with "additional" money, was about 80 rubles.

A modern lieutenant receives 66,000 rubles a month.

The lieutenant could buy with this money: 170 kg of meat; 230 kg of sugar; 66 kg of butter; 100 kg of Tula gingerbread; 115 kg of cheese "Russian"; 200 bottles (0.61 liters) of official vodka.

Modern lieutenant: 260 kg of meat; 1600 kg of sugar; 110 kg of butter; 120 kg of Tula gingerbread; 130 kg of cheese "Russian"; 260 (0.5 l) budget vodka.

It must be borne in mind that a second lieutenant in the army of the Russian Empire, unlike modern lieutenants, had to buy uniforms for his hard-earned money (ceremonial uniform - 70 rubles, spurs - 14 rubles, etc.). But under the tsar, graduates of military schools who passed their final exams with good marks were given a one-time allowance for uniforms and equipment in the amount of 300 rubles. That is, once dressed in full, actually at public expense. And if he went to the cavalry, then they added another 200 rubles per horse.

Today, the platoon commander in his unit receives a Makarov pistol free of charge. Under the tsar, the lieutenant was given only a state-owned Nagant revolver (it was ineffective for combat) and handed ... a recommended list of modern and powerful pistols that were supposed to be bought for their hard-earned money. Self-loading "Colt" in 1914 in a weapons store cost 40 rubles.

One type of monetary allowance for the tsarist army has no modern historical parallel. Before the revolution, a junior army officer, when dispersing demonstrations and civil riots, received an increase in salary - 1.5 rubles. per day. The general who led the suppression of mass unrest - 3 rubles. Interestingly, before the revolution of 1917, the lieutenant had the right to a very long vacation - up to 2 months. But he was paid on the condition that the officer took him no more than once every two years.

One of the most significant items of national expenditure - the defense industry, traditionally, is of great interest in the context of the issue of wages. In recent years, the salaries of the military in Russia have increased significantly, in addition to everything, the government started talking about the allocation of additional benefits for this category - the expansion of social guarantees, the provision of housing and other benefits. At the same time, the macroeconomic trends recorded at the end of 2015 did not affect the incomes of the security forces in the most favorable way: social initiatives were suspended, and the indexation of salaries until 2018 was also canceled. What are the prospects for military personnel next year?

How much do military personnel in Russia earn

Against the background of most categories of Russian state employees, the salary of military personnel is, indeed, an order of magnitude higher. Increased risks to health and life, high intensity of work and the need to constantly be on business trips - all these factors affect the level of appropriate material support.

To understand how the monthly salary of an employee in military service is determined, we will present its main constituent elements. So, what does the salary of the security forces consist of?

first of all, this is the salary itself - its value is affected by the rank of a serviceman;

secondly, it is an additional payment for risk in service (sometimes up to 100% of the salary amount);

thirdly, these are additional payments up to 100% of the salary for the complexity of the conditions of service (relevant for the northern regions of the Russian Federation);

allowances up to 60% for the secrecy of the performance of official tasks;

regular advanced training of a serviceman adds up to 30% to the salary;

for special achievements and excellent service, security forces can receive a separate bonus (up to 100% of salary);

additional funds may be allocated to pay rent for housing, as well as other costs associated with the residence of family members.

Specific and relevant in 2017, the amount of monthly salaries can be given in relation to military rank:

30 thousand rubles - such a salary is due to the military in the most "junior" ranks of sergeant and ensign;

60 thousand rubles - is the salary of a lieutenant;

65 thousand rubles a month are received by the military with the rank of captain;

80 thousand rubles a month is due to a lieutenant colonel;

95 thousand rubles are received by the military - colonels.

The high command of the units is rewarded with a monthly salary of 100 thousand rubles.

Should we expect a salary increase for the military in 2018

Based on the fact that in 2018 it is planned to restore the possibility of recalculating wages by indexation, it is expected that military personnel will be able to count on an increase in their official salaries by a maximum of 6%. But premiums and other items of additional payments are guaranteed not to increase.

The specific amounts by which the salaries of the military will rise next year, experts have not yet taken to voice. Economists agree that the salaries of the military, as well as other state employees, will increase by about 5.5% in 2018 - that is, by an inflationary percentage. Taking into account the general situation of increasing prices for food, transport, utility tariffs, the amount of the increase is unlikely to be noticeably tangible.

There are also even less optimistic thoughts about a possible increase - 3-4% of the salary. According to some experts, it will be possible to achieve such indicators only if the government conducts a parallel balancing of revenues and expenditures of the federal budget, in other words, only if there is money in the Russian budget for these needs.

What the government says about the increase in monetary allowances in the Russian army

But Russian government officials are more optimistic in their statements regarding the increase in the salaries of military personnel. It is planned that cadre employees will receive at least 50 thousand rubles already, while at the same time, the activation of social initiatives for the military is called upon to help improve the quality of life:

additional subsidies for housing costs;

registration of allowances for work experience at a certain coefficient;

revision of interest rates for additional payments for work in the northern regions of the Russian Federation.

With all the skepticism, industry economists note that the above innovations are quite possible to implement, given the fact that large cuts are expected in the Russian army in 2018. So, apparently, not all military personnel will be able to take advantage of material improvements from officials.

Defense spending is one of the most popular and discussed topics on various media platforms in the country. This is true, because national defense in general is the root cause of the emergence of such an institution as the state. This article is the most expensive in the country's budget, it is the largest part of all taxes collected. Hence the desire of society to know and control the costs associated with:

• the development of the latest promising models of weapons;
• the purchase of traditional military equipment for all branches of the armed forces;
• training of qualified users of this equipment;
• the acquisition of specialized training by all personnel of the army.

But here is the fact that ready-made specialists and military personnel of a “broad profile” (i.e. ordinary soldiers and officers) also need to be supported - the media remember this only when the Supreme Commander-in-Chief issues certain messages or decrees that openly say this text. It turns out that the public attitude in this matter is formed according to the principle: “Exactly! They still need to be fed!

Necessary. Moreover, feeding procedures should be regular and so that the portions do not decrease (this is important!). But it is worth being more specific and considering the situation in relation to the present, looking into the prospects of 2018. Then under "feeding" in the first place will be understood monetary allowance. The diet, of course, also matters, but since we are talking about money, then first “Army. Salary 2018.

Salary of military personnel in 2018

In order to judge the prospects (including whether there will be an increase in military salaries in 2018), it is advisable to first understand what components this salary is compiled from. Then it will be possible to isolate the most potential with the so-called. growth term. So, the remuneration of the military is formed from:

1. - base salary (BO);
2. – risk premiums (up to 100% of BO);
3. - a bonus for secrecy: it is difficult to judge the difficulties associated with this restriction, but for keeping a soldier silent, the state “finishes” him as much as 65% to BO;
4. – qualifying surcharge (30% of the BO);
5. - coefficient of remoteness of the place of service: theoretically, this is a kind of analogue of the coefficient of remoteness, which compensates for the hardships and deprivations of being in some backwoods. However, the logic of the allowance in question at the present stage has outgrown its creators, and now a citizen serving on the territory of New Moscow can easily have a higher allowance under this article than his counterpart, for example, from Anadyr. (Apparently because: 1 - prices are higher in Moscow; and 2 - if you are not lucky enough to be in Anadyr, then let it be unlucky to the end). This will be directly related to the resulting consequences indicated in this article;
6. – bonuses for special achievements (up to 100% of BO);
7. – bonus for excellent service (up to 25% of BO);
8. - allowances for hardships and hardships in the regions (up to 100% of the BO);
9. – compensatory surcharge for renting a living space;
10. - one-time compensations for employment at a new duty station (100% of the BO - to the military and 25% of the BO of the military - to members of his family).

If all this (sometimes repeated) is summed up, then it may turn out that the seconded from Barnaul to Moscow is not very high, but in general a qualified specialist of the Strategic Missile Forces with a BO of 25 thousand rubles. with all the coefficients and allowances, he should receive under 200 thousand rubles a month ... Is it appropriate, in this case, to discuss raising the salaries of military personnel in 2018?

However, not everything is so rosy. Firstly, the military has an equally extensive system of fines. Plus, no one has canceled the regular reassessment of the given coefficients. At all levels there is a certain acceptable amount of wages. If someone tries on formal grounds to request something superfluous for himself, then with the help of penalties, as a rule, he is quickly brought into an "aggregate" state.

And secondly, no one has canceled macroeconomic factors. Consisting on a purely budgetary payment, military personnel, like no other, are undergoing the difficult consequences of a forced devaluation and falling oil prices. According to the results of 2014 alone, the real purchasing power of salaries of military personnel decreased by more than 2.5 times. So for them, news about military salaries in 2018 is the focus of the agenda.

Salary increase for military personnel in 2018

Since the crisis of 2014, there has been stability in the administration on the issue of financial support for the army in the field. In December 2015, the State Duma considered, discussed and adopted in all readings the refusal to index the salaries of state employees through the Ministry of Defense (and since then it has been repeatedly extended). Thus, with a permanent rise in the cost of the average standard of living, regular military personnel could compensate for the fall in their purchasing power only through bonuses. But only once a year and at the end.

And the problem here is not even the nervous situation on the ground. Personnel policy is suffering: if it goes on like this, then discontent will disappear along with the personnel. In some divisions, there is a clear shortage of employees even without specialized knowledge and skills. Service officers (especially those under 40) are seriously considering the possibility of retraining for civilian specialties or even going into business "for free bread" due to the uncompetitive level of income in the army.

And of course, attracting young people. The first thing that those interested in military service ask is whether the salary of the military will be increased in 2018. For them, on one side of the scale lies the risk (inextricably linked with the troops), and on the other? Now pay in the army can not be called attractive. And prospects are more like slogans.

Therefore, an increase in salaries for military personnel in 2018 is on the government's agenda. This will be done through measures often not monetary incentives, but included in the so-called. social package:

1. Housing payments will be actively dated. This is provided for even now (see the components of the military salary above), but for various reasons it is not carried out in full.
2. Also, the emphasis in the growth of wages will be placed in the northern territories (to compensate for the harsh conditions of service). The law approves an allowance in the amount of 100% of the base salary.
3. Increasing coefficients for length of service are provided. The length of service for each soldier will be calculated individually, as well as the personal coefficient.

Indexation of military salaries in 2018

Of course, before asking the question of whether the salaries of military personnel will be raised in 2018 (at least), it is necessary to resolve the urgent and not always pleasant issue of restoring the status quo. Those. so that the basic level of income announced at the time was restored, from which the Government retreated in the direction of reducing payments.

The Defense Department's argument is reasonable: why build multibillion-dollar submarines and high-tech aircraft if there is no one to service them. Training a military specialist takes years. And if he retrains as a manager because they pay much more there, then what will be the budget expenditures for training new specialists? And will they want to work, seeing such social care and obligation of the employer?

Therefore, salaries for military personnel in 2018 will be raised, and will be done as follows:

• It has already been announced that from 01.2018 the existing indexation restriction is removed. The rise in income will now be carried out annually based on the results of the analysis of inflation and the exchange rate of the national currency.
• An increase in the absolute level of wages by 5.5% is also expected to partially compensate for what has been lost over the past years.
• It is planned to achieve the amount of remuneration for the work of a regular military man in terms of the amount issued on hand - 50 thousand rubles a month.

When discussing compensation and growth, one cannot fail to mention their sources. According to the intentions of the Government, very significant reductions are expected in the military environment. Of course, it will also be accompanied by the ongoing restructuring with an increase in the general level of qualifications of the specialists involved. But the fact is inexorable - there will be fewer military personnel. So, will military salaries be raised in 2018? - Yes. Is it for everyone? – Definitely not!

The salaries of the Russian military have not been indexed for the past five years. Expenses for the salaries of military personnel, as well as other categories equated to them (mainly security officials) make up a significant part of budget expenditures, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that money savings came here with the onset of the economic crisis. After five years of freezing in 2018, military salaries are still being indexed. We will find out what will happen to the salaries of military personnel in 2018 - when will their salaries be indexed, by what percentage will the salaries of the military and equivalent categories be increased.

When and by how much will military salaries be increased

The salaries of the military personnel of the Russian army will be increased from January 1, 2018. The indexation percentage will be 4%.

This increase is included in It is this percentage that is planned as a target for inflation in our country in 2017. Surprising as it may seem, but according to official statistics, inflation in Russia is indeed a record low this year, and it will be even lower than these four percent, around 3% by the end of the year.

However, to say that the salaries of the military in their real terms due to this inflation compensation will remain the same, of course, is not necessary.

In the Defense Committee of the State Duma, when developing the draft budget for 2018, they demanded more indexation due to the fact that the freezing of salaries for the military fell on quite difficult years. This is the minimum inflation in 2017, before that it was very high, and as a result, prices in Russia have increased by 46% over the past years, and the minimum food set has risen in price by 60%. Of course, the Russian servicemen have not been in poverty for a long time, but no one will like the decline in living standards, even if it does not mean starvation.

In addition, as in Russian society as a whole, the stratification in the army is quite noticeable. For army generals, the drop in the standard of living really cannot be called painful, but the salaries of sergeants cease to satisfy young people, and the army begins to experience certain problems with those who wish to serve under the contract, of which there are obviously fewer than before.

However, the budget cannot afford to increase military salaries by a more significant percentage, so for now, military personnel and their families are essentially invited to get used to the current standard of living and forget what happened a few years ago. So far, the state has undertaken to maintain what we have today.

What will the budget increase salaries for the military

The price of the issue of increasing the salaries of military personnel from 2018 is an additional 67 billion rubles only in the coming year. In total, the increase in monetary allowances for the military and equivalent categories will cost the budget next year 2.27 trillion rubles, or almost 14 percent of all state budget expenditures.

These statistics are from the open part of the budget. There are also closed articles of the military budget, the contents of which we cannot know anything about. Perhaps there are also hidden costs for increased allowances for specific categories.

Approximately 2.7 million people in uniform fall under indexation, as well as almost a million more civilian employees working for the army. Pay increases include:

• employees of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - 1.03 million people,
• police officers - 904 thousand people,
• employees of the National Guard - more than 340 thousand people,
• employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service - 225 thousand people,
• fire service employees - 251 thousand people.

The government does not say what the average salary in the army is currently, but it is known that in 2015 it was more than 62 thousand rubles. It is unlikely that anything has changed significantly, given that salaries have not increased or decreased, and the size of the army has remained the same. The only thing to keep in mind is the slyness of such figures. It is clear that junior officers, warrant officers and, moreover, sergeants receive much less.

What to expect in 2019-2020

Since the budget in Russia is drawn up taking into account the development over the next three years, today's plans of the state for further policy in the field of raising salaries for military personnel are also known. In particular, we can say that if in 2018 the financing of salary increases for the military will cost 67 billion rubles, then in 2019 it will already be 84 billion, and in 2020 - more than 148 billion. Thus, more than 300 billion will be spent on raising the salaries of the military and security forces in three years.